Drop your chains. My chains are those of lethal doubt. A doubt that paralyzes me. A doubt brought forth by anxiety.

“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains” — Rosa Luxemburg

You are all but held captive by the optical illusion of being tied up.

Stand up and watch the chains fall. The first step is always the hardest. Be honest with yourself. What are your chains? What do you let have control over you daily?

“There is no failure. You either win or learn” — Nelson Mandela

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will” — Suzy Kassem

Perspective and honesty are a potent duo. Chose to be ashamed of your chains or chose to change your perspective and use it as a double edged sword. You, reader, are never to forget just how wildly capable you are.

Another one of my chains is perfectionism. There are times where I quit before I start because I know I won’t be able to get it perfect. When I first admitted this, I was so ashamed of this. Now what I chose to do is simply start. Walk out of the door and into the light.

Once you drop your chains, leave them. I am all too familiar with picking them back up. Keep chasing your dreams. Get there, even if it means you have to crawl.

Life is one wild ride. A year ago, I sat in the dark wishing I was gone. I was hopeless. Spiritually I was broken. I kept asking the same question over and over. Why me?

A year later, I am truly the most joyful I have ever been. There are still rough days. Before, with my shadowed view on life, I couldn’t see past the storm. I would shut down and hole up in my room. I shut those who cared the most about me out. Now, I see the rainbow at the end of the storm. I reach out when I know that I am not okay. Instead of criticizing my flaws, I try to look the other way and keep going.

I am surrounded by the best of friends and family. They constantly check in even if I don’t see them regularly.

These days, my biggest challenge is anxiety. The anxiety fuels self doubt, but I refuse to let it win.

I left this blog about a year ago because I doubted my creativity. I started to believe that my creativity was only fueled by my hurt. I am sitting here writing this with gratitude and joy in my heart. This is such a cool moment for me, having renewed creativity founded in joy. I know that there will still be rough days, however, I vow to be like a palm tree holding firm to my roots in Christ through the storms that life throws my way.

Hey ya’ll! The past few weeks have been rough, to say the least. I felt betrayed, and someone close to me was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Something thought to be good turned into a complete nightmare. The walls came crashing down leaving me amongst the rubble. I wanted to say “kick me while I’m down”, and life read my mind. My initial response was to shut down and give up. I sat still, took a breath, and had hard conversations. I came out on the other side of a rough week with even stronger friendships and a better understanding of what I’m looking for in life. Love is great, and it is worth fighting for. That being said, I am still not anywhere near close to having life figured out. Life is funny, confusing, not fair, beautiful, and scary. Life likes to throw curveballs at the most inopportune times. I have no idea what life holds after this season full of hurt. Regardless of the hurt, I have felt in this season, I have felt love, seen beauty, and seen what the simplicity of being kind can do. I have great hope for the future, and I know that it holds lot’s of laughter, art, writing, and more COFFEE.

“You’ll never regret being kind” ~ Momma Lew

“You are a diamond dear, they can’t break you” ~ Pravinee Hurbungs

“Never forget how wildly capable you are” ~ Unknown

Remember to practice love, kindness, and patience even in those seasons of hurt. Look for the small wins in each day, and spend time in gratitude each day. Seasons end friends! Keep fighting for what you believe in, and love yourself along the way. Love the journey and grow through what you go through.

A cluttered and chaotic space can lead to a cluttered mind filled with chaos. Do your best to stress less. It is vital for you to think positively on a daily basis. Be kind to yourself. The more negative thoughts and energy you put out, the quicker your thoughts tend to spiral out of control.

When negative things happen that would typically change the course or mood of your day, simply take a breath, and reframe the situation by practicing gratitude. For example, I managed to make quite the mess with my smoothie this morning. I grabbed a napkin to clean up the spilled smoothie on the counter and ended up knocking it down the cabinets and onto the floor. I took a breath and began to think of how I could switch my perspective. In the end, I am grateful for the ability to make a smoothie in the morning and to have the time to sit down and enjoy the quiet of the early morning.

You can’t always change what the day brings you, but you can take control of the perspective in which you react to things. Perspective is adaptive, much like your muscles continue to adapt. Go to the gym – your muscles micro tear and heal – you become stronger – you get used to the weight – you move up in weight – The cycle repeats. I recently wrote in my research paper— There is no one equation in life in which one can insert their own problems and experiences in order to get the “correct answer” or the “perfect answer”. Humans continue to grow and change as the aging process carries out, as will what we consider “balance” in our lives adapts. I channel my energy into art, as it is adaptive, changing as my thoughts change, reflecting as a mirror to my inner thoughts.

I am writing this with a refreshed perspective, one that is framed by positivity. I am on my way up the mountain, I am no longer stagnant in my creativity. I am fully aware that even with the use of methods in order to make life more enjoyable and maintain a positive perspective, we all still have bad days. The methods out there are to bring a little bit of light into bad days. Remember, without the bad days, we wouldn’t know about the bliss of the good days. I found that when I sit down to write, or to create art, it is best that I just start. Once the floodgates of creativity are open, the rest will follow.

Perfectly painted skin perfectly styled hair… Perfect life. Carefully crafted illusions put on a platform, under a spotlight. Filters are placed over images to alter perspective and perception. Walls are built on sand, the insecurities of the beholder. Imperfections are forbidden and therefore hidden. Words are arrows dipped in poison and shot with precise aim. Every being blends into one, all becoming the same. Where’s the individuality? Lies lurk around the corner. Words are a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and result in mass destruction.

STOP

Imperfect skin, messy hair… An imperfectly perfect life. We live in a world where we can be put under a spotlight, but we have the power to step away and observe the world around us. We don’t need filters to change perspective and how we perceive others, better yet, how we perceive ourselves. We can choose to build a foundation placed upon joy. We don’t have to hide all of our vulnerabilities. Words are building blocks that are used to build a life up. Everyone has little quirks, making them each to their own. Instead of wondering where the individuality is and waiting for it to come, CREATE it. Surprises can await just around the corner if you’re willing to take risks. Words are keys that can open doors if you let them.

STOP limiting your view to the all of the negative things in life. What you fill your thoughts with, is what you become. Widen your view to take in the positive treasures in life. Enjoy the little things in front of you. Be kind to yourself, only you have to live with you for the rest of your life.

If you know anything about me, you would know that I like coffee… Okay, I’m obsessed with coffee! I will stop dead in my tracks if something says coffee on it! I have a plethora of coffee mugs (15 that I can think of at the top of my head), stickers, and things that have the word coffee on them. I have to have at least one cup a day and on busier days 2-3 cups. My favorite coffee to get at coffee shops is different flavored Mochas. My top choices at the moment are the Dark Chocolate Amaretto Mocha, and a Vanilla Chai with a shot of espresso- Both from Buon Giorno. It is my dream to open an artsy coffee shop, become a barista and master latte art! There will be more blog posts on this subject about mugs, my favorite coffee shop location wise, and coffee wise!

A Growing List of the Coffee Shops I’ve Been to:

Buon Giornos-Grapevine, Texas

Starbucks- All over the country *My favorite one was the one in Times Square in NYC!!*

Please Note that all of the coffee shops I’ve been to may not be on here as I am writing the names of the shops that are popping up at the top of my head! I will add them as I remember them!

I started this blog because of my passion for creative writing. I get pulled into this world of awe and fascination as soon as my pen hits the paper. Writing is an outlet for stress, allowing me to escape reality for a bit. The adrenaline rush I get as I watch the words come to life on a page is more than worth it. I have dreamed for so long to start my own blog and see my work published! I had the goal of starting my blog for months, and to finally have it up is so rewarding!

I spent so long living for the weekend, I believed it was the only time I had to express myself and for creativity. My sweet Momma often says to find balance in life, I juggle school work, sports, and my passions. My friend gave me the greatest advice the other day, ” You can always make time for what’s important to you.”

Here I am, finally living in the moment! Live in the moment and do what sparks joy in your life!